Hydroponics generally refers to techniques of growing plants without soil and using a mineral nutrient solution in a water solvent, for example. One hydroponic technique is called a static solution culture, where plants are grown in containers of nutrient solution. The nutrient solution is typically aerated. A reservoir holds the nutrient solution, and spaced apart plants may be positioned through the top of or a lid of the reservoir so that each plant's roots are submersed with the nutrient solution, which the rest of the plant extends upwardly or out of the top of the reservoir. The nutrient solution may be changed to achieve characteristics, for example, which may change from plant to plant.
Another hydroponic technique is a deep water culture (DWC). In the DWC technique, plants are produced by suspending plant roots in nutrient rich, oxygenated water. Simplified DWC systems may include a bucket, air stone, air pump, and a net pot filled with a medium. The air stone provides the oxygenation. As a plant grows, the roots stretch through the medium into the water below.
For increasing oxygen supply in a DWC hydroponic system, the air stone may be replaced with a Venturi device, for example, a Venturi aerator. U.S. Patent Application No. 2008/0222949 to Bissonnette et al. discloses a device for growing plants. More particularly, Bissonnette et al. discloses downdraft Venturi devices for increasing the dissolved oxygen concentration in a liquid in a hydroponics system.